Credits: NBA
The Houston Rockets finally put an end to their 15-game losing streak against the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets took down their counterparts 91-90 and made their way to the NBA Cup semifinals. Notably, it was for the first time in over four years that the Rockets secured a win over the Warriors. The side is now set to clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Las Vegas on Saturday. The Thunder will head into the game on the back of a win against the Dallas Mavericks
The Rockets squad that beat their nemesis the last time had stars like James Harden and Russell Westbrook and none of the current players was on the team. The game saw the winners heading into with more confidence, owing to their 16-8 record and the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. Before the half-time, the Warriors were down 37-44 and shooting 16-of-42 with 10 turnovers. However, by the final two minutes, they were up with a 90-84 lead. The lead eventually narrowed down to a single point with 27 seconds left on the clock and Stephen Curry missed an open 3-pointer.
He's such a calming influence for the team: Rockets coach Ime Udoka heaps praise on Fred VanVleet
Following the win, Rockets coach Ime Udoka heaped praise on Fred VanVleet, who made his comeback in the squad. VanVleet is in his ninth NBA season and his second season with Houston. Udoka said, "He's such a calming influence for the team that kind of gets us into what we need to a lot. You still want guys to grow and learn that, so when he's not out there they're forced to do it a little bit more.”
He added, "We then can go through a few different guys to initiate offense. Figure out other ways to do it. When a guy is down we've done a good job of stepping up. Figure out how to do it by committee." Notably, Wednesday’s winner will now advance to face either Dallas or Oklahoma City in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas.
